


Cooling The Burn

by katesfire



Category: Star Trek: Voyager
Genre: Caretaking, F/M, Sunburn, aloe - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-18
Updated: 2017-06-18
Packaged: 2018-11-15 19:00:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,596
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11237214
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/katesfire/pseuds/katesfire
Summary: Janeway is careless on shoreleave. It's either Chakotay and the aloe or the Doctor. Which do you think she chooses?





	Cooling The Burn

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by my own recent carelessness and failure to use sunscreen resulting in a dreadful and painful sunburn.   
> Thank you Cheile-sis for the beta!

_Stupid._

That's how she felt. 

And she, with her fair Irish skin, _knew_ better. She knew very well that it was a poor idea to be exposed to the sun without the regulatory skin protection but, after such a long duration without shoreleave, she had just plum forgotten to replicate some. She didn't even notice the beautiful blue sun of the alien world cooking her like a Thanksgiving turkey on an old-fashioned rotisserie.

It had been worth it, or so she tried to tell herself; the way Chakotay had looked at her in the emerald green bikini when she had shrugged the matching cover-up off of her shoulders, causing his eyes to bulge out of his face, had been worth it. Watching a brooding shadow of jealousy replace his appreciative stare as he realized he wasn't the only one who was appreciating the view of his Captain was the icing on the cake.

She was _still_ trying to convince herself the burn was worth it, but the unforgiving fabric of her uniform was quickly dispelling the notion. Every movement was agony as the fabric shifted and it felt like razor sharp teeth were being ripped over her ultra-sensitive flesh. She had opted for a strapless bra, thinking that it would aid her situation. She had been wrong. Even as she sat ramrod stiff in her chair, the damn thing was crawling down her torso, further from its proper position around her chest and thus irritating the burned areas on her lower back and belly.

She had been on duty for precisely twenty minutes and had already come to the decision that sitting on the bridge was impossible. Every time she shifted uncomfortably, she would draw a look from someone; most often, that someone was the someone sitting to her left.

She was **not** about to go to sickbay and confess her oversight to the Doctor. She didn't need another lecture from him about setting an example for the crew and on how her carelessness regarding her own personal well-being could spill over into her duty as captain of _Voyager_.

"Commander, you have the bridge. I'll be in my Ready Room," she finally said, standing and forcing herself not to visibly wince as her uniform shifted and her bra slid a couple of additional millimeters.

It wasn't exactly like her to give up a bridge watch for no apparent reason, but she was the Captain. There was nothing on the bridge that required her immediate attention so there was no reason she couldn't work from her Ready Room.

"Aye Captain." His reply was smooth, though she knew he was looking at her retreating back with curiosity.

As soon as the door hissed closed behind her, she ripped the jacket to her jumpsuit open and ripped it off of her arms so that it hung open at her waist. She was going to tie the sleeves around her waist but then decided to shuck the whole uniform. The pant legs were irritating her and the way the thing clung to her hips was just intolerable. She toed off her boots and let it slide down her legs. Next she stripped the turtle neck and tossed over the rail that divided the room. She gingerly leaned over and picked up her uniform and it, too, joined the turtleneck hanging on the rail. She knew she had to do something about the bra situation and had no option over than to reached up the back of the tank and unclasp it, allowing it to fall freely into her hands. She tossed it over the rail and allowed herself a sigh of relief.

It was a curious feeling-- to have her bridge crew just beyond the doors and yet to be in such a state of undress. Any one of them could summon entrance at the door at any moment and she would be left with the horrific task of trying to reassemble herself before the person bidding entrance began to wonder at what might be taking her so long to answer.

She looked at her arms and squinted at the sight of them. They were as red as the shoulders of her uniform. They burned and almost felt like they were throbbing. Her legs were no better looking and she was certain her back was equally painful to look at. She was one big ball of burning pain and the chafing of the uniform did nothing to help her situation.

She made her way to the replicator and thought of ordering a coffee but decided that she didn't want to increase the feeling of warmth by slugging down a hot cup of coffee.

"Dermal regenerative cream."

_"Please specify composition."_

"How am I supposed to know? Something for a sunburn?"

_"Please restate the request."_

Replicators hated her. That's all there was to it. She couldn't cook using one and now she couldn't seem to get it to supply her something to relieve the singed feeling from her skin. She was going to _have_ to visit sickbay. The idea was less appealing than just suffering with the burn.

The chime for her door sounded and her breath caught in her throat. There was no way she was going to be able to carefully get dressed and still answer in time to not raise suspicion. She was cooked. She tried to suppress a smile at the ironic nature of the thought. Yes. She was. Literally.

"Computer, who's at the door?" she asked, knowing full well that it was probably Chakotay.

_"Commander Chakotay."_

She sighed again and crossed the room to stand as close to the bulkhead that separated the room from the bridge, hoping that she would not be visible in her state of undress to anyone on the bridge who happened to gawk at the door when he entered. The most likely suspect would be Paris-- though she imagined Kim wouldn't be able to contain a gasp of surprise, nor would Tuvok avoid cocking a curious eyebrow at her. Chakotay had once seen her wrapped only in a small towel and her tank and shorts covered more than that had. Heck, they covered more than the bikini she had stupidly worn did.

"Come in."

"Captain, I thought I...." he stopped mid-sentence when he saw her but managed to have the presence of mind to not dawdle in the door thus allowing it to remain open behind him. He also managed to not drop the padd he was carrying. "Kathryn... what in the hell?" The words were out of his mouth before he saw her red, glowing flesh and realized her predicament.

"In my anticipation of enjoying our recent shoreleave, I neglected to apply the regulatory sun protection," she muttered at his look of shock. She was not exactly amused by his sweeping gaze. Ordinarily, she would have been flattered. But pain seemed to put a new skew on feelings that were otherwise ordinary.

"Why don't you just see the doctor? Some dermal regeneration and hypo should have you fixed in no time."

"And have to listen to him drone on about my lack of self-care and poor example for the crew? I hardly think I am in the mood," she replied, wincing when she sat and her back encountered the chair. 

"Would you permit me to help? And perhaps save you continued suffering on both accounts?"

She eyed him, suspicious for an ulterior motive but when she found nothing but honest concern upon his face she decided that she was willing to at least give him a chance. She didn't want to appear too eager, yet her skin was screaming for relief and she may have given in even if she did spy an ulterior motive.

"If you think you can douse the being licked by fire sensation, I would be forever in your debt," she said. They were friends. Much closer now since their experiences on New Earth and she was certain she could trust him.

"Take off your clothes and lay down on the couch."

Or not.

"Excuse me?"

"How am I supposed to help you if you don't trust me? Besides, it would be very difficult to tend to your back with the tank top on."

"But..."

"Do you trust me or not?"

"Well yes, but..."

"Good because I honestly can't stand seeing you in so much pain. You try to hide it well, but I know you Kathryn. Now, go lie on the couch and let me help you or I will snitch to the doctor."

She let a lopsided grin spread across her mouth. "Commander, did you just threaten to tattle on me?"

Chakotay laughed as he moved towards the replicator. "Yes, I suppose I did, _Captain_."

"You wouldn't dare."

"In the best interest of the crew and my Captain's well-being, you bet I would. Having you in pain due to a very easily treatable condition is in the best interest of nobody."

"You got me. But only because I am in dreadful pain and have zero interest in running to sickbay with my tail between my sunburned legs." Her heart was a flutter as she waited for him to turn to the replicator and heard him order pure aloe. Of course. Why didn't she think about that! Though even if she had, she would have found it exceptionally difficult to put on her back without assistance. So, without further complaint, she quickly pulled her tank over her head then let her shorts slide down her legs, leaving her in just a pair of dark blue satin panties. At least she had picked nice panties rather than the Starfleet issue white cotton briefs.

Chakotay turned around in time to see her standing with her back to him, clad in just her panties and forced himself to suck in a breath. _Spirits, get it together!_ He had not anticipated the instant effect it would have on him to see her, sun scorched and all, in just a pair of panties that were deliciously snug across her bottom.

Kathryn tried to settle herself on the couch but the fabric was just too abrasive that she couldn't manage to do so without causing incredible pain. She crossed her arms over her bare chest, concealing herself from his view and turned slightly so that she could see him over her shoulder. "Laying down is not an option," she informed him.

"I have an idea. Computer, is holodeck one in use?"

_"Negative."_

"Initiate site to site transport for Captain Janeway and myself."

_"Acknowledged. Initiating."_

Before she could question, she shimmered out of existence with him only to momentarily be re-materialized in the holodeck. She turned to him to ask him what he was thinking but his comm badge blipped.

_"Tuvok to Commander Chakotay."_

"Chakotay here. What can I do for you Lieutenant."

Of course Tuvok would have been alerted to the site to site. He was aware of and alerted to nearly everything that occurred on _Voyager_.

_"I was alerted to a site to site transport from the Captain's Ready Room. When I attempted to raise her through the comm system she did not answer."_

"I am here, Tuvok. The Commander and I are running a simulation," she took over. The last thing she needed was for him to rush into her ready room with a security force and find her uniform hanging on the railing. "I'm sorry that I didn't inform you. There is no need for alarm."

_"Captain, I..."_

She made a cutting motion across her throat and Chakotay got her message and closed the comm link. "Alright, I halted security. Now, would you care to explain?"

"You said you couldn't lay on the couch."

"Yes?"

"Computer, secure holodeck one authorization Chakotay Beta Four Two."

_"Acknowledged."_

"Now that we won't be interrupted, I can tend to your sunburn. Computer, initiate _Voyager_ anti-grav training simulation. One pair of gravity boots for myself."

Kathryn watched as the room changed and she was suddenly weightless in the middle of her bridge. It was a curious sensation to feel weightless. She tried to keep herself upright as she kept her arms tightly wrapped across her chest, but couldn't manage to do so. She heard the hiss and thud as his gravity boots took effect and then felt him gently take her by the ankle and pull her towards him, easily flipping her in the weightless environment so that she was looking at the deck of the bridge.

"How's this, Kathryn?"

"Not entirely what I had anticipated, Chakotay, though I think it will do fine. But, I do have one small request. Can we change the setting? I keep having this feeling that the crew is going to burst through the doors of the turbolift at any moment." And while she kept telling herself that the real bridge was several decks above them, the holodeck's authenticity was simply too much to overcome.

"Pick anywhere on the ship you like."

"Computer, change setting. Captain's quarters." After a momentary shimmer, the photons reorganized and returned with a fairly accurate recreation of her quarters, though without the personal touches she had added since _Voyager's_ computer was initially programmed.

"Now do you think you can relax enough so that I might be able to soothe that burn?"

Relax. Right. He wanted her to _relax._ She was nearly nude, floating in a gravity neutral environment with her arms clasped firmly over her chest, reminding her every moment that she was burned in both places, and he wanted her to relax. Never mind the fact that she had noticed the tightness across the front of his trousers below the waist.

"I'm all yours," she said, realizing she opened her mouth and inserted her foot squarely up to the ankle. If that wasn't an innuendo, she didn't know what was. "That is, to rub down," she attempted to amend as she realized she just made the innuendo far worse than it had been.

"Aye, Captain," he chortled, not missing her verbal gaff. "You're, ahem, going to have to drop your arms to your sides, Kathryn."

"Chakotay..."

"You trust me, remember?"

She sighed. She did. Of course she did. It was just that... Oh she was being ridiculous. He was trying to help her and she was worried about something as menial as modesty. She dropped her arms. Her front was facing the floor as she floated about waist high on him.

"That's better. Computer, please keep Captain Janeway from moving more than ten centimeters in any direction unless I move her myself."

So there she floated, confined within an invisible boundary box as she felt him balance the bowl of aloe on her right buttock, within the boundary box with her. She nearly said something, but realized that it wasn't like he could just let it float around freely. The bowl and the aloe would separate and there would be a glob of aloe floating around within the room while he was left to chase it down. She tried to tell herself that she wished he would just get on with it but, in reality, she was enjoying the attention.

The glob of cold aloe in the middle of her back caused her to gasp and her muscles tightened unexpectedly. Fire doused by ice. She wondered if there was steam rising from the surrounding skin as it attempted to boil the source that fought to cool it. And then his fingertips found the pile and  began to spread it across her screaming flesh. She wasn't sure in that moment if he meant to torture her or help her. The fire in her skin protested as the icy ministrations spread in a wider pattern across her back, down to the waistband of her panties. She held her breath, waiting for his fingers to stray beneath their barrier, but they merely skirted along the fabric, spreading the blessed coolness until it covered her sides and then made their journey up her ribs. She allowed herself a sigh as she began to feel relief.

This time when he dropped another glob of aloe on her back, it was on a place that had already been cooled by the slippery substance and she found herself closing her eyes as his gentle fingertips spread it upward over her shoulders and to the back of her neck. She'd had her hair pinned completely up, just as she used to in the beginning days of their journey, and so even the sensitive back of her neck had gotten burned.

Amazingly, the back of her legs had fared the best and she found herself holding her breath, once again, as two identical globs of refreshing cold goo were dropped on her upper thighs. His fingers tickled along the blue fabric of her panties, just below her buttocks and over the insides of her thighs. She couldn't prevent the flush that rose in her cheeks and she was incredibly grateful for the fact that she was facing the floor. She didn't miss his staccato breaths that seemed to return to normal the closer his fingers got to the backs of her knees.

When he finished with her ankles, she felt he bowl lifted from off her buttock and wondered if she shouldn't be bracing herself to be released from her invisible confines. He didn't need to go all the way down her legs because she could have done those herself, though she appreciated his thoroughness and attention to detail. She did have to admit that she felt incredibly better. The therapeutic power of the aloe was working wonders on half of her body and it was a curious sensation to have her backside feeling rather cool while her front still felt aflame. She wondered if this was how Earth's moon felt. One side in the cold with the other showed its face to the sun.

"I'm going to turn you over now, Kathryn," he warned. He attempted to brace himself for seeing her practically nude. Sure he had seen her in a bathing suit just yesterday, but this was far more intimate. And she was topless.

"Oh, Chakotay, you don't have to, I can do my front side," she hurriedly said. Sure she _wanted_ him to continue, but it just wasn't proper.

"Kathryn..."

"I trust you, Chakotay, I do, but..."

"Then trust me. No buts about it."

He was right. Either she trusted him or she didn't. And thus far, he had maintained her trust. His fingers never strayed into the forbidden territory under the satin of her panties. He had offered to help her and that is exactly what he had done. So he would see her partially nude. He was also her best friend. Best friends could see each other nude without any expectations, right?

"Okay," she said, vowing that she would keep her eyes closed. She couldn't look at him while he looked at her.

Chakotay used her feet to turn her over and he inhaled deeply, unable to prevent himself from looking at her. Of course he had to look at her to rub the aloe on her, but he caught himself looking at every inch of her. His eyes followed the curve of her legs to her thighs, forcing himself not to allow too much of a pause in his appreciative gaze as his eyes swept across the triangle of blue satin that hid the apex of her thighs and lower abdomen just a bit less than her bikini had yesterday. His eyes drank in the smooth planes of her belly, the ripples of her ribs that showed gently through the uncomfortably red flesh with every inhale. He swallowed hard as he hardened at the groin, his eyes climbing the peaks of her breasts until they reached their dusky pink summits then rolled back down again along bikini tan lines up her shoulders to her throat and along the definition of her jawline. Her eyes were closed and it took everything in him not to move up her body and place a silent kiss on her perfect mouth. 

He had spent too long appreciating her and worried that she would open her eyes and catch him, fragile trust inexorably shattered. He balanced the bowl of aloe on her lower abdomen, right above where he imagined a neatly trimmed thicket of curls would begin, and set about his task. He started with both hands on the front of her feet, smiling at the way the design of her sandals had burned into the tops of her feet. He felt the heat of her skin on his fingertips as he delivered the cooling salvation to her desperate skin.

He wasn't altogether sure that the sweet agony of restraint wasn't going to be his undoing as his fingers dipped between her thighs, then slipped along the hems to her panty line; he managed to regain his composure as his fingers climbed up her hips and away from her secrets concealed by blue satin. He resumed his gentle tending with a fresh dollop of aloe on her belly and, almost immediately, she began to laugh and squirm.

Her eyes came open as the laughter exploded from her throat. "Chakotay, that tickles."

"I had no idea you were ticklish," he laughed along with her, continuing to rub her belly despite her fidgeting within the invisible boundary box. "For some reason, I never took you as the ticklish type."

"I am sure there are many things about me that you don't know, Chakotay," she replied, grateful that his fingers had moved up to her ribs where she was less ticklish than her sides and lower abdomen.

"Well, I am sure we have plenty of time for me to uncover all of your secrets, Kathryn."

She felt the flush rise in her face, but it was nowhere near as flush as his as he realized the double entendre of his words as he floated in zero gravity clad only in her panties. What was worse was there was no real recovery from it and she was terrible for continuing to stare, her eyes twinkling with merriment as she waited for him to try.

"Oh is that a personal goal, _Commander_?" She was simply relentless, but she decided that she was allowed. After all, she had only ever seen him bare-chested while he was currently privy to an eyeful of her near nudity. She was really being unfair. She knew that he was likely experiencing a fair share of discomfort due to their close proximity and the fact that he was literally caressing nearly every inch of her body. And yet, her trust only extended to the level of allowing a friend to assist her in her time of need.

He was renewed by her teasing and felt a bit of the embarrassment drain from his face. "With the _Captain's_ permission, of course." He returned the volley, allowing the ball to land squarely back in her court as his fingers made their way up her right arm, allowing him to delay attention to the curve of her cleavage and up her chest to her throat.

_Damn him_ , she thought. She thought she had him, but now she was stuck with the ball and she wasn't sure whether she wanted to hold it or serve it back. She felt they were on the borderline of a rather dangerous breach of their established boundaries as friends. The wrong suggestion would send the wrong message and it could be the undoing of that which they had so carefully constructed following their stay on New Earth where they had almost reached the point of no return.

_Almost._

He had moved around her head and worked his way down her left shoulder and arm as she held the proverbial ball and she realized the moment had passed for her to return when she found herself gazing up at him. He didn't meet her eyes as he worked his task, covering her arm down to the top of her hand. His eyes seemed to color darker as he paused to refresh the aloe on his fingertips. The only place that remained was the tops of her breasts that had been exposed above the cut of the bikini top and her chest and throat. She watched his face, careful in its emotionless mask as his fingers found her throat and feathered over the spot just below her ear that begged to be caressed by his lips. She felt a surge of arousal course through her body and she took a shuddering breath, refusing to allow her eyes to close now as his fingers found the top of her chest.

He willed calm. He willed composure. He willed his face and eyes not to betray him, though he was certain his verbal gaff already had. He swallowed hard, knowing her eyes were fastened to his face, observing him. What sweet agony he was in to be able to touch her but yet to be forbidden from _touching_ her.

His delightfully cool fingers finally found the valley between her breasts and when they climbed the curve, careful to keep above the line where her skin turned from scarlet to alabaster, she gave herself away as her entire body shuttered and she felt a pool of moisture collect in the blue satin that was suddenly very uncomfortable between her thighs. She watched him carefully, expecting a sign that he was going to dip down and kiss her at any moment. She knew his lips on hers would be her undoing and, sunburn be damned, she would find herself wrapping her arms around him to press her body fully to his.

With great effort, Chakotay forced himself to remove his fingers from her breasts, wanting to allow them to stray further until the slippery cold encountered the pebbled dusky tips. He finally met her eyes and was surprised by the unbridled lust that revealed itself to him in shades of blue. He clamped an iron clad fist around his arousal and begged the Spirits for composure.

"Do... ahem. Do you want me to have us transported back to your ready room or would you prefer your quarters?"

The magic of the moment was dispersed and carried away like oxygen through the circulation system. She realized that she was still confined in the unseen barrier, but it didn't much matter. Her clothes were still in her ready room but she honestly couldn't see returning to the bridge even if she did recover her uniform.

"I... my quarters would be fine."

Computer, release the barrier around Captain Janeway."

_"Barrier released."_

He took her hand to keep her from floating away, forgetting the nearly empty bowl of aloe as it floated away from her belly. "How do you feel?"

In her surge of arousal, she had nearly forgotten the sunburn that he had tamed the fire from. "Remarkably better. Thank you, Chakotay."

"You're welcome, Kathryn. I can't promise it is a permanent fix or that you won't peel."

"If I need repeated treatment, I'll know who to call. Thank you also for not tattling on me to the doctor."

Chakotay smiled then and offered her an apologetic look. "You know I wouldn't have."

She smiled as well, the playful lightheartedness returning. "Of course I do. I would have demoted you."

"Shame. I can't see Tuvok being such an attentive first officer as to give his Captain a friendly aloe massage while keeping her secrets."

The comment followed by the vision delivered to both of them a hearty laugh. She had to admit, there was no one else on the ship she felt so comfortable with as Chakotay that she would allow them to see her in such a state of undress, even if there was an extraordinarily high level of sexual tension between them.

"Well you have certainly earned your rank today, _Commander_. And speaking of earning your rank, do you mind terribly tidying up my ready room? I would hate to have to explain to Tuvok why I left with you absent one uniform."

"I'd be happy to, Kathryn. Computer, site to site transport for Captain Janeway to her quarters."

He waited until she had completely disappeared from view before ending the program and exiting the holodeck. He couldn't be disappointed about their relationship as it was. She was his best friend and he wanted her to trust him implicitly. He could have bent and kissed her. He could have allowed his fingers to stray until they caressed the pebbled peaks of her breasts or beneath the satin blue fabric. He imagined that she might have invited him further once he made such a bold move. But he refused to do so. She had been the one to define their path thus far and he would not push her into uncomfortable terrain. _She_ would have to be the one who changed their course. He had vowed to her that he would follow her anywhere and make her burden lighter in any way that he could. If that meant that he was only permitted to walk at her side as her best friend, then he was willing to accept that, so long as he was gifted the privilege of being able to walk at her side at all. When they got home, perhaps things would take a different path, but for now this was the one they shared.

He drew a couple of curious looks when he entered the bridge and went straight for her ready room, waving Tuvok off as he stood from the Captain's chair to relinquish the bridge. The doors slid closed behind him and he quickly set about gathering her uniform. He knew he couldn't cross the bridge carrying it so he opted to dump it into the recycling receptacle and set about tidying up her desk.

She paced her quarters, still clad in just her panties. He could have kissed her. He could have chosen to touch her at any moment and she would have flung herself over the edge of reckless abandon with him. Why hadn't he? She had wanted him to. In that very moment, she could have forgotten _Voyager_ , the crew, and everything that mattered except for him. And that was precisely why a love affair between them couldn't work. But then, he had pulled her back. He had found composure and reminded her of herself. That is what he had done all along, even when he had wanted her to give up searching for a cure on New Earth, he had accepted that she had to come to the realization all on her own that they were likely destined to live there forever. And when _Voyager_ returned for them, he had put on the uniform first and reminded her of who she was. So, even in the heat of the moment, if he could pull her back and force her to reconcile her responsibilities, then why couldn't she jump off the cliff for him? Why couldn't she, as they say, have her cake and eat it too? It wasn't as though he was forcing her to choose between him and Voyager, after all. He knew the job and mission just as she did. If he could realign her with just a few words, then surely she could trust him to maintain that role despite a personal interlude.

"Computer, locate Commander Chakotay."

_"Commander Chakotay is in the ready room."_

_Perfect._

Chakotay appraised his work before returning to the bridge. He had straightened a few of her knick-knacks, stacked the padds in chronological order on her desk, and wiped a couple of smudges from her computer screen. She might not notice that he did anything but recycle her uniform, but he didn't mind. He was glad to help her even when she wasn't aware of the little things he did. It warmed his heart every time he was able to do even the smallest thing for her. He hoped she understood that he meant what he said and that he would be happy to provide her a repeat of the aloe treatment, should she need it before she was healed.

He nearly stepped to the door, allowing it to open when her voice found him through the comm system.

_"Janeway to Commander Chakotay."_

"Chakotay here."

_"_ _Commander_ _,_ _it occurs to me that you may have missed a_ _few_ _spots."_

"I'm sure I was quite _thorough_ , Captain."

_"Really? Because I can think of a couple of additional places that would benefit from the ministrations of your fingers because mine just don't seem to be as capable of soothing burns as yours,"_ she purred.

The innuendo was certainly not lost him though he nearly had to retrieve his bottom jaw from inside of his boots. "Understood, _Captain_. I'm on my way. Chakotay out," he finished as he was already through the doors onto the bridge, again waving Tuvok off and silently chortling at Paris' amused but curious look over his shoulder from the conn.

"Tuvok, maintain course and speed. The Captain requires my assistance."

"I'll bet she does." Chakotay heard Paris mutter under his breath but chose to ignore him and his new plight as Tuvok assailed upon him to repeat his statement which Paris contorted into something other than what he had truly said. But, by that time, Chakotay was already in the lift and too far to hear what Paris concocted on the fly to cover with. His Captain required his assistance and he was _certainly_ not about to keep her waiting.


End file.
